Why does The Crossing Church support the Jewish People Group?
Because God say's so! The Crossing Church believes that the whole Bible is true, all of it, forever! Genesis 12:3, 'I will bless those who bless thee"
It is the Church's responsibility to Israel: do not boast against the branches. Romans 11:18 "...Do not boast against the branches...remember that you do not support
the root, but the root supports you."
The Early Church: Was Jewish
What responsibility does the Church have toward Israel and the Jewish people? Romans 11:12 tells us, "Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
We have lots to be excited about if we obey what God tell us! But first we must know the truth.
The Truth:
All the knowledge of God that the Church enjoys today originally came through the Jewish people. The gospel was taken to the whole world by Jewish bodies and Jewish lips. There would not be a single born-again believer but for the original Jewish apostles, evangelists, pastors and teachers who laid down their lives. They saw something. They saw that the Gospel was the fulfillment of Jewish history. They viewed it as the consummation of all that God had given to the fathers and the prophets. They believed it was the fulfillment of this age-long aspiration that Israel would become a vessel by which the light and salvation of God was to come to the ends of the earth.
The early Church was totally Jewish- its origin, thinking, background; everything was Hebrew. They saw it as their responsibility to bring the knowledge of the God of Israel to the Gentiles-and the revelation of His Son, Jesus the Messiah. It put them in a terrible controversy, not only from within the Jewish establishment, even from within their on fold.
Now it has happened. Today we are seeing what the prophets longed to see. From every tongue and kindred, people and nation, Gentiles have been joined to God through the Jewish Messiah-the Lord Jesus Himself. Through their fall salvation has come to the Gentiles.
With that in mind we might ask ourselves again: Does the Church have any obligation toward the Jewish people? Paul wrote: "I tell you the truth in Christ..I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites...'(Romans 9;1,3,4).
How then can any true Christian take an anti-Jewish stand? Surely it is impossible. The Jewish fall has become the glorious means by which God has fulfilled the age-old Jewish dream that all nations of the earth shall come into blessing through them.
One Body
The early apostles knew their solemn responsibility and saw the middle wall of partition was gone. At that time the shoe was on the other foot, so to speak. They did not think of Jews becoming Gentiles. They saw Gentiles becoming spiritual Jews. All the epistles talk about it. The book of Ephesians says the Messiah Yeshua broke down "the middle wall of separation...that He might reconcile them both, Jew and Gentile, in one body through the cross" (Eph. 2:14,16) But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Eph.2:13).
Branches Born By the Root
As the Church we must not be high-minded, because all the branches are born by the root.
To the Jews belong the fathers, the prophets. The root bears us all. the root is Messiah Jesus Himself.
A Solemn Responsibilty
God's purpose is to graft them in again"...Do not boast against the branches...remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you" (Romans 11:18) We are living in the time when the veil will be taken away. For centuries there has been a veil over the Jewish eyes in regard to the Messiah; however, there has also been a veil over the Church in regard to His people. In these last days when the Spirit of the Lord is moving mightily we should ask ourselves as the Church:
"What Bride does not take time to get to know the Bridegroom's family?"
It is time now for the true Church to begin to see how much richness has been lost in spiritual things by ignoring the Jewish people, the very people who first brought the love of God to us!
This generation of the Church, more than any other, has a solemn responsibility toward Israel and the Jewish people. It is a time when the Spirit of the Lord is bringing us together and a time when we are to humble ourselves, acknowledge that God is NOT finished with Israel and begin to be a blessing to her according to Genesis 12:3. "I will bless those who bless My people", If we hear and respond to what the Spirit says here, we will never be ashamed.